Before the Cryofreeze
by RorschachinBlueJeans
Summary: Khan passed by all the attention he received from the woman of his crew, and wasn't interested in anything but being a captain. Until he met the much talked about helper of the crew, Niera. And now she'll be his, even if she doesn't know it yet.HIATUS!
1. Meeting the Captain

Disclaimer:I don't own Star Trek.

A/N: I have a couple Khan/OC's. This is the first one. Hope you enjoy it!

Neira had no rank. She had no fixed task among the crew of Botany Bay. She was a Jack-of-all-Trades. She would help in any way she could. Not that they would let a 17 year old do much. So most times she was used as an errand girl, or even a messenger. But she was perfectly fine with that. She wasn't on the bottom of the food chain, but she didn't have to deal with the higher ups very often. Or more so the First Officer. Who was Neira's older sister Keiren. The two of them hadn't gotten along since Keiren was reading bed time stories every night. Something about the pecking order. Not that Neira was listening when it was being explained. Higher rank or not, family is family. Keiren was being ridiculous.

As for the Captain... She'd never actually met him. Nor did she care if she did or didn't. Some of the woman on the ship would talk about how handsome he was, and how much they wished he would notice them. Neira on the other hand just wanted to make sure she didn't tick him off by screwing up. There wasn't much about her to notice anyway. Her long black hair was always in a high ponytail, with bangs that hang in her plain, conventional brown eyes. She wasn't tall, nor short at her height of 5'6". And she was slim with a nice muscle tone.

The one thing she knows would set her apart from the other woman is her fighting abilities. Her father had said she was a natural, therefore trained her harder than her sister and brother. Which brought up another question... How hell did Kieren make FO?! There are plenty of better fighters, with more brains too. It got Niera thinking that the Captain wasn't all that smart and great after all. But she would keep her opinion to herself, lest she be mauled by most of the crew, including her sister.

Her thought process was broken by two men arguing over something or other. Apparently, neither of them were small enough to reach a bolt that needed tightening. She scoffed, taking the wrench from the Chief and crawled through the hole. She fixed the problem with ease and then crawled back out. What she didn't expect is the two men had already called the the Captain to find the best possible solution, and he was standing above her, eyebrow raised. They just stared at each other for a moment, before he reached out his hand to help her up. She took it with a stoic look on her face, trying to hide her panic. Oh boy... What would he say? That she was reckless? That she was stupid and should have waited the 'adults' to fix the problem? She stood waiting for him to berate and belittle her as most did. But that was the exact opposite of what he had in mind apparently. (Hounyflake, apparently. A DEDICATION TO ANYONE WHO CAN TELL ME WHERE THE QUOTE CAME FROM.)

"You did well. Better than the one in charge in fact... What is your name?" She was shocked but steeled herself.

"Niera sir." Khan smirked.

"Ah, yes. I've heard of you. You're my First Officer's younger sister, are you not?" Niera grimaced at that.

"You would be correct sir." She replied curtly. She was sick of being recognized for her sister. That idiot didn't deserve the position she now held. The Captain watched her for a moment. Why, she had no idea.

"Well, it was nice meeting you Captain, but I have things I must see to." She said, putting the wrench down and turning to walk away. She got a few feet away when he spoke again.

"I will be keeping a close eye on you Niera. Make no mistake about that." She felt a shiver run down her spine, not knowing what he meant, but for some reason she liked it! She looked back at him and her breath caught in her throat when she saw him staring at her intensely. There was something about the way that he looked at her that made her heart skip a beat. She smiled at him slightly, before turning away and walking out.


	2. She is the Elf

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek. If I did, I would kidnap Khan while he is in his cryotube. That hotness is going to waste!

A/N: Glad that I got some favorites and follows. Hope to get some reviews this chapter. Pretty please with a cherry on top? Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter!

Khan watched Niera's hips sway back and forth as she walked away from him. She was different than he had expected. From what Kieren had said of her 'baby' sister, he had expected a slow witted, lazy, petulant child. Not a girl who thought faster than his Deck Chief, and seemed to help all over the ship. He then realized she was the one everyone talked about. She was referred to as the Elf around the ship, due to the fact that she helped everyone like one of Santa's loyal elves. She was a very determined Augment, and other than her sister, he heard nothing but good things about her. Even her older brother, Dierve said that he would trust her with his life. His First Officers words were looking like jealousy more and more. As for Niera, she was actually rather pretty. Another thing he wasn't expecting. Not only based on her sisters words, but he never figured that a girl who would do all manner of work would be pretty. In any sense of the word. And from what her brother said, who is one of his pilots, said she was a excellent fighter. One of the best he had ever seen. She would prove to be very formidable woman as she got older. He smirked to himself, and turned to walk away toward his office.

There was a knock on Khan's office door. "Enter." The door opened to reveal Niera. Definitely not what he was expecting. He smiled none the less as she slowly walked into the room. "And to what do I owe the pleasure, Niera?" The girl smirked holding up a tablet.

"Just making a delivery for the Head Doc. He said you need to sign these to authorize some treatment or other. And that I had to stay till you did and then take back to him." She said, walking to the side of his desk holding the tablet out for him to take. He took the tablet and pretended to read the text while watching her mess with random objects around his office. She finally stopped at his bookshelf and looked at some of the titles. She gasped slightly, catching his attention. She held up one of his books and looked in his direction.

"You have Stephen King books?! Awesome!" She said, looking at the books and stroking their spines almost lovingly. Khan chuckled.

"Yes. I found that I liked a few of them, and decided to find them all. Have you read them?" He asked, turning his chair toward her. She smiled at him.

"Just The Stand. And it's one of my favorite books. Have you read them all yet, sir?" Khan shook his head slowly.

"Not all of them. I liked the few that I read, and decided to look for them all. You borrow one if you like." He said before turning back to the tablet on his desk. She beamed at him, but stayed silent and looked for one she wanted to read as he actually read the info on the tablet.

After a few minutes he signed it and held it out for her to take. She saluted him lazily, before walking toward the door.

"Have a nice day Captain." She called, exiting out the door, shutting it behind her before he could get a word in edgewise. Khan stared at the door blankly for a moment. Yes, Niera was definitely not what he had expected.


	3. Medbay Nurses and Calls to the Bridge

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Star Trek. Any version.

**A/N:** I'm glad all of you liked this story so far! I Hope you guys like this chapter! Please review!

Niera walked away from her Captain's office feeling happy with herself. She didn't make an utter fool of her self. Her happy mood ended when she saw her sister walking in her direction. Well, not her direction. She wasn't that conceited. Kieren was more than likely heading for the Captain's office. Said woman glared at her for a moment before sneering at her.

"What do you think you're do in this hallway, little sister?" She growled in her direction. The younger looked at the older. It was a wonder they were siblings. They looked almost nothing alike. Whereas Niera had black hair and brown eyes, Kieren had dirty blonde hair and stormy gray-blue eyes. Then again their brother Dierve looked different then both of them. He had strawberry blonde hair and intense sky blue eyes. Niera just rolled her eyes at the older girl's attitude.

"If you really must know, big sister, the Head Doc sent me to the Captain to get something signed for him. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go back to the Medbay. Have a most pleasant day, Commander." She said with a mock bow before walking off toward her destination, leaving a fuming First Officer in her wake. But she wasn't worried. Kieren had tried to get her kicked into space a few times already, and the majority of the crew vouched for her. They liked her, but not the FO. So she was safe.

Then there was the fact that the Captain seemed to like her. That was a bonus. No getting thrown off if she was in the Captain's good graces. Though she wasn't really afraid for herself. She knew that if anyone tried to kick her into space, Dierve would try to protect her, and get thrown off with her. She and her second oldest sibling were very close. He would do anything to keep her safe and vice versa. So she had to be careful who she ticked off. Not including her older sister. She made it her duty to make her life difficult and to annoy her.

But enough of those morbid thoughts, she had a delivery to make. She ran to the lift, and took it down two decks, then heading for the Medbay. She walked throught the door and smiled at the site of her best friend, one of the three nurses, Sieve. Said woman looked up and smiled back at the girl that had entered her domain.

"Back with the tablet already? It usually takes a few hours for him to even read any report from us. What did you do?" She asked as she took the tablet and put it in the Head Doctor's office. Niera shrugged and sat on a bed near the door.

"I didn't door anything. I just walked in when he called me and gave him the tablet like I was told by the Doc. Oh and the Doc told me to stay until he read and signed the document. Maybe that's why he got it done so quickly. So that I would be able to leave his office." She said, getting a raised eyebrow in return.

"You think you're the first one the Doc has sent and told to stay? I've had to do that before. He just told me to sit in a chair in the corner until he could get to it. I think you got on his good side somehow." Sieve said with a slight smirk, causing the teenager to narrow her eyes in suspicion.

"That's not all you think, is it?" She growled out slowly, quite a bit like her sister had done earlier, not that she would ever acknowledge any similarities between them. The nurse gave a devious grin, making Niera scoot away from her a little bit. She knew that look. It meant a lot of trouble.

"I think that Captain Khan Noonien Singh, fancies you." She declared, spreading her arms wide to be dramatic. Niera's eyes went wide and she started laughing. This made Sieve glare at her.

"There is no way that the Captain is into not the youngest crew member, but also the least important one at that." She said, looking at the far wall, ignoring the twinge of disappointment that statement brought to her heart. Sieve rolled her eyes, and caught sight of the book that was sitting next to the girl on bed, smirking. It was Bag of Bones by Stephen King. The woman had seen it in the Captain's office the last time she had been in there.

"Alright. If he didn't like you at least in some way, why would he allow you to borrow one of his beloved books?" Niera's head whipped upward at that statement, then down to the book next o her. She gave her friend a look of confusion. Sieve gave a sigh and sat on the bed across from her. "No one is allowed to touch his books. Not even your sister, his First Officer is allowed. What does that tell you?" Niera thought about it for a moment and went to answer, but was cut off by the PA going off.

\- _The Captain would like Niera Aglareb-Ba to report to the Bridge. Niera Aglareb-Ba to the Bridge.-_ Niera was very confused by that, but got off the bed none the less. She bid Sieve a quick good-bye before she went out the door and ran to the lift, taking it to Bridge level. She got off the lift to see a very pissed off Kieren and a pale and sickly looking Dierve. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of her brother. A moment later the Captain turned toward her.

"Ah, Niera. Your brother tells me that he taught how to be a pilot. Is that true?" Niera gave him a quick glance and nod, before looking at her brother again. He had obviously overworked himself again. She just heaved a sigh and turned to address the Captain.

"Am I correct to assume you wish me to relieve my brother of his post, sir?" She asked, looking him straight in the eye, no matter how much doing so was messing with her thoughts. Especially after the conversation she had with Sieve a few minutes ago. The Captain smirked and nodded, before taking a seat in the Captain's chair. Niera went to the pilots post and set the controls back up. She could feel two sets of eyes on her. One just observing and the other glaring holes into the back of her head.

One was none other than her sister and the other was the Captain. One just pissed her off with the condescendence, and the other was mildly unnerving with it's intensity. When he said he said he would be keeping an eye on her, she didn't think he meant full on staring at her. Oh this shift was going to be so much fun. She could already tell.


	4. Khan Gets What He Wants

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek.

A/N: Here is the fourth chapter! Hope my loyal readers like it! For all the people who didn't look at my profile to see why this story was on hiatus, I did not have a reliable internet source. So I could not update.

The Alpha shift had just ended and Neira couldn't wait to get off the Bridge. She could feel her sister's evil vibes from her seat. That coupled with The Captain's intense, almost constant staring, she was sure her brain was going to short circuit. Was what Sieve thought right? It would explain the constant staring. Then again... Maybe he was just trying to gauge my skill level... Whatever it was, it gave her goose bumps and made her blush. She scowled to herself. She would not turn into one of the other women in the crew who fawned and swooned over the Captain. She wasn't like that. She was sneaking past the navigator when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking back, she saw the Captain.

"Can I help you, Sir?" Khan's face was blank.

"You will follow me to my office to discuss your place in the crew." Niera paled as her she saw her sister's smug smile over the Captain's shoulder. What exactly did he mean? She didn't have time to question him, as he had started to walk to the lift, her having to scramble after him. She didn't want to admit it, but she was kinda scared. Did she do something wrong? Or something right? She had no idea what was on his mind. It didn't take long for they them to reach his office. He quickly sat behind his desk and she stood in front of it, trying her hardest not to fidget under his intense gaze.

"That was excellent piloting. I want to make you the relief pilot, that way your brother will not over work himself as often. Do you you accept?" Neira was gaping at him for a moment before composing herself.

"I would be honored sir. Do you want me to show up when called or actually take a shift?" Khan looked impressed by her question.

"For now, come when you're called. If it comes to it, I may put you on rotation, if only to annoy my Commander." Niera rolled her eyes as the man in front of her chuckled.

"You noticed looks of contempt thrown my way then?" This caused Khan to chuckle again as he leaned back in his chair.

"Indeed. I don't understand the animosity between the two of you." Niera snorted.

"It started when she became your Commander. Something about pecking order. I don't listen to her spiel because it is a load of BS. Family is everything. Of course the crew is family, so rank isn't that important. Yes the ranks of captain, commander, etc deserve respect, but that doesn't mean anyone is better than another. And that's what she seems to believe. So we clash. We were very close when we were kids." She finished her impassioned speech and sat stiffly as Khan seemed to take it in. Niera tried to get a read on his mood and how he felt about what was said, but his face was blank. His eyes were intense, but that could mean anything. After a few minutes he spoke.

"I quite agree with you. We are family, and we need each other to survive. This is also making me think I should consider another Commander. Kieren is not, as one would say, panning out." Niera was paralyzed. This wasn't good.

"What's going to happen to her if you demote her?" Khan gave a smile.

"No need to worry, Elf. She will just go back to where she was before I promoted her. Engineering." Niera imediately relaxed. At least she wasn't going to be hurt. Humliated possibly, but not hurt.

"Who are you going to take her place?"

Khan shrugged.

"I'm not sure yet. I'll have to think about it. But for now you should head to your room. We do not need two of you laid up in the infirmary. And take some time for that book I lent you." Niera smiled.

"Will do sir. I have to pick it up from the infirmary first, but I'll definately read it." Niera went to leave but was stopped by the captain.

"Niera, when we are alone, I insist you call me Khan. You are correct that none of us are better than the other, therefore I see no reason for you to call me Captain." Niera was about to argue when he gave her a hard look, causing her to huff and nod in acceptance.

"Fine. Goodnight Khan. I'll see you when I see you." She was given a smilee as she made her exit.

Khan sat back smirking to himself. he had been lying to her in one respect. He knew eactly who he was going to have replace Kieren. It would be a trial run of course, but he planned to make Niera his Commander, and likely keep it that way. He had only told her that he wanted her as a relief pilot to make sure she didn't realize what he was really up to. He would wait a few days to make any announcements, but soon enough he would get what he wanteed. He always did.


End file.
